I Am the Doctor!
by Ms Boku
Summary: This was inspired By the Natural History of Fear. Enjoy!
1. Default Chapter

'I hear you have some rather interesting specimens, Science.'

A voice spoke as the door to a vast laboratory opened.

Two alien beings entered. Their skin was dull gray in color with blue spots and their heads could be considered normal size by human standards, no hair, small ears with three eyes and thin lips. The more official looking one wore a brown robe with a black trim. It covered his body save for six tentacles, which protruded from the bottom and two hands, which held the sides of his robe close to his body.

The other wore a lab coat of yellow tones, which covered his body the same.

'Yes we do. All new. They do not belong here, in our universe that is. The readings have been off the mark of all the conventional specimens we have catalogued. This one for example.'

They walked to the table where one of the specimens was lying. Other members were doing their studies and taking readings as they approached. Multiple wires and electrodes were connected all over each part of its body.

'This one is called an Earthling, female of the species. The only one of her kind here. They all come from another universe.'

He walked to a window to show the other one.

He is classified as Eutermesan. Quite unique all the same. His brain patterns and chemical levels are different that what was initially anticipated at the assembly three cycle spans ago.'

'Earthling? Eutermesan?'

'Yes, that is what we learned from the processing.'

'So what is the procedure after you acquire a new specimen?'

'After the sedation is complete, any items they possess are taken to various departments to be analyzed. Once we have all necessary information those possessions are brought to waste dispersal.''

'What sort of possessions?'

'Well, the Eutermesan had a stone; the female and the other male, a Time Lord, had a great many other things we've never seen. Their clothes for example, made from material that does not exist here in our universe. The Time Lord had strange things in its pockets. We have yet to determine their power.'

'Time Lord? What is that?'

'That is the classification if his species. We don't know everything just yet. There are so many questions we are trying answer. And those answers raise more questions. As you can see.'

'Most interesting.'

'Oh yes! The Time Lord, whose designation is the Doctor, has several items that we have no explanation for, as of yet. But any unanswered questions we can get through the continual processing. So, to continue with your question, sedation is first. We do it to avoid any unpleasantness.

Second, decontamination and possession removal.

Third, possessions and specimens are then moved to various departments to be analyzed. We then place them on the tables and hook them up to our computers for processing and cataloguing.

From there we study every aspect of their bodies, emotion, stress, mentality, physical reactions to different situations.'

'How?'

'All done through the computers and our programmers. The specimens are fed everything through the computer.'

'I see then what?'

'Well we have a standard list of things we need to know that we have the computer ask. When we finish we send them to waste dispersal. In some rare cases where we have more questions than answers, or just more questions, we catalogue them until we have finished analyzing. When we bring them back and begin the whole process over until we have what we need.'

'Just how did you acquire these specimens Science?'

Science waited for a moment. 'I don't know they were- they just ended up here.'

'How?'

'…A portal we intercepted from a pocket universe.'

'A portal? Have you managed to secure this portal?'

'No.'

'How long have you been working on these specimens?'

'Five cycles.'

'FIVE! Might I remind you that you're not supposed to go beyond two with any specimen!

I have heard enough. You will give a full report to the Registry at the assembly in one span. You'd better make your argument convincing enough. If not, you will go to waste dispersal for using up space and energy.' He turned and left.

'Science?'

'Yes, Technical.'

'Medical is done. Shall I continue to run the program?'

'Yes. We will all prepare to give a report in one span. Set the computer to loop if free thought occurs.'

'Yes sir.' He went to a microphone and spoke. 'Ok restart the program. Cover the flesh and when you're finished prepare all reports for the assembly.'

'Technical?'

'Yes.'

'Is the identity removal a success?'

'Yes and no. The Time Lord has held strong to his identity. He is very strong. He has a powerful mind. We make headway but he keeps finding his way back. It has been very time consuming to strip what has made him. So during power down, I made some modifications to the program.'

'Modifications?'

'Yes. I've never done this before but it seems to be working. The program is using their identities against them. So they will believe the other is real and not them. The other two only had to be corrected once. The Doctor proved more difficult, but this cycle has been a success. His barriers are breaking at last. He is losing himself. The mind will stay intact.' He smiled at the excitement of it all.

'Good. The program can work its self while we are gone. It is safe to do that isn't it?'

'Oh yes. The loop alone will hold stable enough until we return.'

'Gather all departments and their information. We can justify this and get continued funding for at least ten cycles if we are do this right.'

'Science.'

'Yes.'

'What about that blue box of theirs?'

'Have you found out anything?'

'Only that he has a bond to it.'

'It may not be as important as the specimens. We may have to sacrifice it. Oh turn the lights to half power. We can conserve what we can.' Science left the room.

He sighed with regret.

As everyone hurried out of the room, technical pulled the sheets up over the exposed flesh of the specimens. It was now quiet except for the hum of the equipment. Technical turned the lights down to half. It looked like a dimly lit theater. The room was now empty. Empty except for the Doctor.

The Doctor was motionless on the cold table. There was no activity in the room. No activity except for that which was going on n the Doctor's mind. His eyes were moving under his lids. There was an occasional twitch or flinch. That was unusual due to the amount of sedation that was given.

Something was happening inside the Doctor's mind. It was causing his lips to move. There was no sound…at first. Whispers trying to form words…Words to form sentences…one sentence…

'Imthedoctcorimthedoctorimthedoctorimthedoctorimthedoctor…'


	2. Identity Crisis

'_Voices. I can hear them. Hello? Please! I'm scared. Help me! Where are you?'_

The voices were getting closer. Louder. It was like he was hearing them from inside a long tunnel.

'_Please. Can you hear me? I need help! That voice. I know-is it? A name. Ch-Charley? Yes Charley! Isn't it? Charley over here! Can you hear me! Please!'_

'Quint! Get the doctor quick. He's starting to come round.'

'Right.'

'_Charley is that you?'_

'There, there. It's all right. My Love. Just come back to us.'

'What? Love?'

The voices were getting louder. He could discern certain words. He opened his eyes. Shapes were taking form.

'Sternan? Can you hear me? Can you see me?'

'What?'

The door opened and Quint came back in. 'Well?'

'Oh Quint!' Tears filled her eyes. 'He's responding!' She and Quint embraced.

'What? Help me.' They turned their attention back to him.

'Sternan, can you hear me?'

'I'm…Sternan? Who's-I'm-I uh. You. I know you.'

'Yes my brother. I've summoned the doctor. Just stay with us.'

'Doctor? Yes I'm-the…Doctor?'

His world was coming into focus. There were two figures huddled over him, watching and waiting in anticipation. 'You-Ch-Charley? It's you! And C'Rizz. What's going on?' He tried to sit up and dizziness swept over him. He set his head back on the pillow. 'I f-feel so weak.'

He looked at Charley who had tears streaming down her cheeks and a big smile on her face. 'Charley? What's wrong? Are you?'

The door opened and a female doctor entered. He looked amazed. 'Remarkable!' He walked over to the Doctor and started to take his vitals. 'Well Mr. Sternan, I didn't think we'd see you again. You gave us quite a scare.'

'Sternan? No, no you've got it wrong. I'm the Doctor and this is Charley and that's C'Rizz. Now please tell me what's happening!'

The doctor took her glasses off and set them in her pocket. The Doctor looked at her face and a flash of music filled his head.

'Grace?' He closed his eyes hard and the doctor was now male. 'What?'

'Now it's ok just relax and let me explain. You were performing your play. You went backstage and after the curtain closed you broke out in a sweat and passed out. I was in the audience and was able to help and get you to the hospital.

Your wife and brother here have been here day and night keeping constant vigilance.'

'That's right. I've been here reading and talking to you.' She took his hand. 'Holding your hand.'

'We're glad you made it back bother.'

'No no, no, no. This is not right. I am the Doctor. Charley, C'Rizz listen to me. We travel in time and-'

'-space in the TARDIS. We fight evil and help people.'

The Doctor looked confused.

'It's all in your play. You play the character of the Doctor who travels in time and space. It's your play my sweet. You have worked so hard and long on it.' She leaned over and pushed the locks from his face.

'It's part of the illness I'm afraid.' The doctor said. 'You suffer from delusions. You picked the one identity that happened to be closest to you.'

'You thought you were this Doctor after you woke the first time. And then you fell back into the coma.' She stroked his head.

'No this can't be. It's-I have memories.'

'It'll take some time before you begin to knew what is real. This disease plays on the mind. If one is not strong enough, well, you're alive and that's what matters. I'm going to get him set up for some tests. I'll be right back.'

'Listen to me! I am the Doctor and you are Charley and C'Rizz. You must remember.'

'Sternan, it's all a fantasy.'

He looked at Charley.

'He's right my love. It's a fictional character. You made him up. You cared so much about the characters. You were so happy when the play was a success. And I was so proud of you.' She turned to her brother in law. 'Did you find it Quint?'

'Hm? Oh yes.' He fishes a piece of paper out of his pocket, opened it and began to read.

"Sternan delivered his best performance on his final night of a week run of his famous play entitled Doctor Who and his Travels Through Time and Space. He worked long and hard to write and perform a play of this caliber to the stage. It's special effects and set design was only surpassed by that of his performance of the Doctor. At the end of his performance, he was taken ill and rushed to the hospital. No information as of yet on his condition. Sedwick Van Gelt famous producer has stated an interested on taking the stage act off the road and on to the big screen.' He handed the paper to him to examine.

'So you see the Doctor is not real.'

He looked at the paper. He looked at the words that were read. His eyes fell. 'Perhaps you're right. It all seemed so real.'

'That's the illness. But your back now. Back with us.'

He smiled. 'Delusions? They were so strong.'

Then he heard a noise. A bell. A loud bell. He sat up. 'That bell.' He seemed to snap back. 'No. That's the cloister bell of the TARDIS.'

'No that's the clock tower in town, my sweet.' She kissed his forehead.

'No! That's the TARDIS! She's trying to warn me! I-I can feel her! This is not real!' He started to get out of bed. She tried to hold him down.

'Go get the doctor quick.' She told Quint. He ran out the door.

'No!' He shouted in the direction of the ceiling. 'You won't have me! I will get out of this. I will fight you! You can not take away who I am!'

The computer readings were going off the scale. The information it was trying to process was coming in too fast, too much. The machine began to spark. It was over loading…

Quint came in with three doctors. The Doctor was off the bed heading to the door when he was tackled back to his bed.

'No! Leave me alone! Let go! I will get free! You can't hold me!

'Don't hurt him! Quint! Help the-' She stopped. They all did. They all looked at her.

'There!' The Doctor shouted. You were going to say help the Doctor! The conditioning won't work! I will break free!'

'No, I was going to say help the Doctor! Doctors!' She put her hands to her head.

'That's it Charley never forget! Never forget! C'Rizz! Remember!'

One of the doctors pulled out a syringe. The Doctor's eyes went wide. 'No! I beg you don't do this! I can't do this again! NO!'

'IamthedcotorIamthedoctoriamthedoctorIamthedoctor.' He kept repeating over and over. He felt the syringe in his arm. Pain seared thought his body.'AHH!"

Sparks were flying everywhere.

'NOOOOO! PLEASE NOOO!'

The machine could take no more. It exploded. The Doctor flew up and yelled in pain. The sheet fell to the floor.

'AHH-I-AM-THE-DOCTOR!' The pain was too much and he fell and hit the floor hard. He could feel the cold of the floor against his naked flesh.

'What is this madness?' He looked at the wires attached to his body.

'WHAT IS THIS MADNESS!' he pulled every wire form his body as fast as he could. Tears were running down his face. 'I AM THE DOCTOR!' He sat there, head bowed, and he cried whispering. ' I am the Doctor…'

End…?


End file.
